It's become part of my normal routine, a part of my routine that I love & enjoy!
I enter the doors of this place every Friday morning & it's a hub of activity.
Music is playing loudly, voices are raised high in an effort to rise above the music in competition for air space. The crash of bowling balls rolling down lanes & pins crashing are in this sound mix. A sea of friendly faces await my entrance just as they have done with almost every other face that entered before me. They run , crawl or wheel over to greet me, some excitedly jumping on the spot, some flapping their arms, some smacking their heads, but all with big beaming smiles. The joy & elation they express when they see me is like food for my heart & soul.
They express their love or their like for others so genuinely & without prejudice!
They express their love or their like for others so genuinely & without prejudice!
They see us through rose coloured glasses. They care not about your wealth, your race, your social status, your weight, your post code or the car you drive..all they care about is that they are seen, heard & accepted! They gain pleasure & satisfaction in knowing that you care enough to interact.
Society & Medicine say they have a disability but it is my belief that they are less disabled than us able bodied people. No false facades...what you see, is what you get!
Most of them have a passion for life that a lot of us will never understand & a will to persist even though the hurdles they face may in fact be insurmountable.
I look forward to Fridays every week because of the spiritual pay off that I get from being with them & sharing these moments in their lives. They have become like family & I care for each one of them.
We non disabled people have been spoiled by our desires & wants. These beautiful people are happy just to have their needs met. We can learn so, so much from them.
Society & Medicine say they have a disability but it is my belief that they are less disabled than us able bodied people. No false facades...what you see, is what you get!
Most of them have a passion for life that a lot of us will never understand & a will to persist even though the hurdles they face may in fact be insurmountable.
I look forward to Fridays every week because of the spiritual pay off that I get from being with them & sharing these moments in their lives. They have become like family & I care for each one of them.
We non disabled people have been spoiled by our desires & wants. These beautiful people are happy just to have their needs met. We can learn so, so much from them.
At least this is what I believe to be true.
OK, OK, OK ....now you've gone and done it. Not quite 9am and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I raised a remarkable now almost 49 year old man, my son Carl, who perfectly fits your lovely description of the lucky people you spend time with. THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteDo I have your permission to save the lovely image on your post? No problem, if it's not OK.
ReplyDeletethank you for being there for them...sounds like a wonderful friday ritual...and i know that some days it is hard, but thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou are a blessing to them, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI know when I've volunteered to help others it humbles me and reminds me of how small our worries really are.
We do not completely realize our full potential
ReplyDeleteHelen you most certainly can save the image on my post. This photo was taken at the Mt Tamborine Botanical Gardens. It is a lovely place to be still. Thanks for your kind words. Carl is also fortunate to have been raised by such a remarkable mum.
ReplyDeleteBrian thank you! It is a wonderful place, full of wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteThanks CM.... they are also a blessing to me. They are truly remarkable.
ReplyDeleteOpaque this is true & what I have learned can be a problem when working in the field of disabilities is that some carers, doctors, medicos & even society can place limitations on people with a disability. We are all individual beings, having our own individual strengths & weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteWe all have the ability to learn but it may be that we learn differently.
I know a man whom had never had the opportunity to learn the skill of dressing himself and after 40 years of having been deprived of this skill can now do it with minimal assistance. It took him about 12 months but he can do it!!! Just wonderful.
What a humbling and inspiring post Katherine - thank you for sharing and God bless you and all those you touch !
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be back. Have a wonderful weekend - what's left of it for you.
All I can say after catching up on your recent posts is - wow, meaning they cause one to pause and think on a different , more conscious level. Thank you Katherine.
ReplyDelete